In a recent editorial, The Criterion said we wanted another year of Beau Flores as Associated Student Government president. Now that election intent forms are in and Flores is indeed running to keep his seat, The Criterion officially endorses his ticket.
At the time that we appealed to him to run again, election season had not yet started and, to the best of our knowledge, Flores had not made up his mind about campaigning to keep his position. We are glad that he decided to do so and hope our editorial helped sway him in that direction.
We can’t claim sole credit, though. Prior to making his decision, Flores spoke with many clubs, organizations and students. To our understanding, the appeal was the same across the board: “We like what you’ve done; please keep doing it.”
That was our stance as well, as demonstrated by our editorial on the subject. Now that he is running for re-election, it only makes sense to officially endorse his candidacy. Otherwise, why bother to beg him to run?
We won’t belabor the points already made in our editorial appealing to him to retain office. The Criterion has no desire to beat the proverbial dead horse. We will, however, make it known that we think he is the best option.
Flores ran last year on the platform of standing for us. Unlike many politicians, he actually honored his stated goals. Beau stepped into office and immediately began standing for all Colorado Mesa University students regardless of campus location. He also immediately began standing for the community, engaging in purposeful community outreach.
Flores new running mate, Angel Bautista, also has a long record of standing, both for his fellow Mavs and the Grand Junction community. Together, they have the potential to serve as a powerhouse for benefiting students and the CMU-Grand Junction community relationship.
The truth is, an individual would be hard-pressed to find a more qualified presidential ticket. The experience, leadership and dedication to strengthening CMU that Flores and Bautista bring to the office are akin to the perfect superhero team-up. It’s the figurative equivalent to Dr. Manhattan joining forces with Superman.
You may note that none of this editorial is dedicated to bashing their opponents, Lauren Mason and Alex Wagner. Mason and Wagner aren’t necessarily a bad choice. They’re just not the best choice, and CMU students deserve the best.
It is also vital to declare that, while The Criterion has picked our preferred candidate, we will not allow our own bias to create an unbalanced opportunity for coverage.
News articles, which absolutely must remain unbiased, will treat both tickets as equals. Art and Life pieces will have the availability for features for both tickets. Even though this editorial endorses Flores and Bautista, staff are welcome to write an opinion piece arguing in favor of Mason and Wagner.
In case it hasn’t already been made clear, The Criterion does not believe in silencing anybody; even if we fundamentally disagree with their point of view. Therefore, letters to the editor calling for Mason and Wagner to take office will be published. Both tickets are also welcome to provide statements for why they are the best choice to represent CMU.
We do hope that our editorial will impact how students vote in the upcoming election, but we also encourage our fellow Mavs to listen to both sides of any argument before formulating their own opinion. Educated votes are always the best votes.
Don’t allow The Criterion or anybody else to do your thinking for you. Look into why we chose to endorse Flores and Bautista over Mason and Wagner. Look at Flores’ leadership compared to Mason’s efforts to drive legislation. Attend or watch the debates. Talk to your peers. Then cast an educated vote for the best candidate.
